Decadence Stitch-Along - Month 11 - Floral Fusion - Block 10 January 15 2020
The conclusion of our Decadence Stitch Along is just a couple months away. Although many of you have not been posting your progress, there must be somebody who is planning to surprise us having kept up with these blocks.
I took a class once many moons ago where the teacher gave us quite a substantial amount of homework to be completed by the following week. I had to stitch for hours every day, but I finished it, mostly because I was a free wheeling single girl who didn't have a family to take care of. I had wondered how most of the students managed to find the time. When class started, the teacher asked us who finished their homework. Before anyone had a chance to respond, she laughed and said she was just kidding about expecting it to be done. Word soon got around that mine was completed. So, who of you are secretly keeping up with these blocks?
TIPS FOR TODAY:
- When comparing my finished block to the picture on the pattern, you will notice that I left off the final edging which shows pink on your pattern. Considering my fabric choices, I felt the Round looked much better without it. I always like to tweak a pattern to make it my own. It's the artist's prerogative ;)
- This time I'm looking for a tip from some of you to help me. I have a lot of arthritis in my shoulders which causes pain when I am stitching. I know I stitch much too tight. Do any of you have suggestions on how to loosen up my stitching or even how to position my arms to help alleviate the pain?
So let's get started!
FABRICS USED IN THIS MONTH'S ROUND ARE:
- Floral Fusion
- Cream with Black Dots
- Teal Damask
- Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers
- Peacock Feathers
- Background Fabric
FABRIC CHOICES AND FUSSY CUTS:
1) The center is comprised of EIGHT One-Inch 45 Degree Diamonds, cut from the Peacock Feathers fabric. In Step 3 below, we need EIGHT MORE identical One-Inch 45 Degree Diamonds. THEREFORE, WE WILL BE MAKING SIXTEEN NOW AND SAVING HALF OF THEM FOR STEP 3 BELOW.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Peacock Feathers fabric CUT SIXTEEN ONE-INCH 45 DEGREE DIAMONDS (saving eight for step 3.)
Sew half of the eight pieces (four) together. Then sew the remaining four pieces together. You will now have one long seam to attach the two halves. This will make it easier to match up your center points. I like to start sewing at the center towards one outside; then again, start sewing at the center towards the opposite outside. We want those eight skinny points to match perfectly at the center. The picture below shows an illustration of my method used on one of the blocks from my Celestial Star quilt.
2) Surrounding the center are EIGHT One-Inch Honeycombs, cut from the Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. In Step 5 below, we need EIGHT MORE identical One-Inch Honeycombs. THEREFORE, WE WILL BE MAKING SIXTEEN NOW AND SAVING HALF OF THEM FOR STEP 5 BELOW. These are NOT fussy cut, although I varied each piece using the larger bunches of flowers and/or the tiny white flowers.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers fabric. CUT SIXTEEN ONE-INCH HONEYCOMBS (saving eight for step 5).
Sew these Honeycombs into the concave area between the center Diamond star points.
3) Referring to Step 1 above, you have EIGHT more One-Inch Diamonds to add next.
Sew these Diamonds into the concave area between the Hot Pink Honeycombs.
4) The next step is to make SIXTEEN ONE-INCH SQUARES from the Cream with Black Dots fabric. Although not fussy cut, I cut these from an area of the fabric with more saturated dots.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Sew these Squares into the concave are between one Peacock Feather Diamond and one Hot Pink w/ Tiny Flowers Honeycomb.
5) Referring to Step 2 above, you have EIGHT more One-Inch Honeycombs to add next.
LINE these up with the first set of Hot Pink Honeycombs, sewing them between two One-Inch Squares of the Cream with Black Dot fabric.
6) Fussy cut EIGHT ONE-INCH OCTAGONS from the Floral Fusion fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS THE CORRECTED PHOTO
Doesn't this fabric make the most beautiful fussy cut Octagons? Sew these between the Hot Pink Honeycombs, lining them up with the center bottom point of the Octagon touching the Peacock Feather Diamond point.
7) Fussy cut SIXTEEN ONE-INCH SQUARES from the Teal Damask fabric.
YOU WILL NEED TO LOCATE THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL IRON THE INTERFACE TO THIS SPOT ON THE BACK OF THE FABRIC.
YOU WILL CUT WITH A SEAM ALLOWANCE APPROXIMATELY 1/4" BEYOND THE INTERFACE.
Sew each of these between a Hot Pink with Tiny Flowers Honeycomb and a Floral Fusion Octagon.
8) Remember that I have chosen NOT to include the pieces in the final edging surrounding the block, as shown in pink on the pattern.
Lastly, appliqué your completed Round to the center of an 18 Inch square of background fabric. The square will later be trimmed to 17-1/2 inches.
One more Round left to do in February before we start with finishing details. Keep posting your progress on Instagram and/or Facebook with #DecadenceSAL. There are still great prizes to be won. And, as always, feel free to ask any questions.
* Our hearts and prayers go out to our friends in Australia battling fires in extreme heat devastating their beautiful landscapes and many homes *